1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless terminal including a device management (DM) system. More particularly, the present application relates to a wireless terminal including a device management (DM) system in which a server remotely manages the wireless terminal and a DM client.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been technologies developed with respect to Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Device Management (DM) for remotely managing numerous terminals connected to a wireless network. Many of these technologies have been standardized by the OMA. In a DM system, a DM server remotely transfers a DM message to a terminal using a DM protocol and acquires, replaces and executes a Management Object (MO) representing a parameter, an execution file, or the like, in the terminal, so as to manage the downloading/updating of firmware, downloading/installing/updating/removing of a software component, or the like. One of the functions of the DM server is device capability management. Device capability management involves the authorization of the use of one or more specific capabilities of the terminal, e.g., a camera function, LAN, GPS, DMB, or the like.
Device capability management is a method in which a management authority can limit or authorize capabilities, e.g., a camera function, WLAN, Bluetooth, or the like, of the wireless terminal coming into and out of a specific control area.
To this end, a Device Capability Management Object (DCMO) is defined, which represents an execution node, or the like, in which a set value related to the capability of the terminal is stored. The DM server acquires, replaces, or executes a value of the node of the DCMO so that it can limit the specific capability of the terminal.
For example, the DM server executes the execution node, such as enabling, disabling, or the like, that is a sub-node of a camera node, or replaces the value of an enable node with TRUE, FALSE, or the like, so as to enable or disable the camera function. In this case, the DM server does not provide a client with the authorization for re-enabling a corresponding function, and the corresponding function can be re-enabled only through the DM server.
That is, the corresponding function can only be enabled/disabled when a Management Authority (MA) server transfers an enablement/disablement command of the specific capability to the corresponding terminal using location information, admission information of the terminal, or the like. Therefore, a user of the terminal should wait for the enablement command with respect to the corresponding capability from the DM server in order to use the specific capability disabled by the DM server.
In practice, the DM system checks for the admission of the wireless terminal into the control area automatically or passively to obtain admission information of the terminal. The DM server then transfers the command for disabling or enabling the capability of the terminal to the terminal. For example, a device capability management system checks an identification of the user at an entrance of a specific security area and transfers the information to the MA server so that the MA server can disable or enable the specific capability of the registered wireless terminal of the corresponding user through the DM server. Further, the DM system registers information on the wireless terminal of a visitor upon entering the specific security area, the MA server disables the specific capability of the terminal through the DM server using the corresponding information. Still further, the DM system checks for a visitor's departure from the specific security area, so as to transfer to the terminal the command for re-enabling the specific capability.
However, there may occur a situation where the admission information of the user fails to be automatically registered due to a check error, or the like. Further, in the case of passively checking, when the terminal leaves the corresponding area and the terminal's departure fails to be registered in the registering location, or when other wireless related errors occur, the DM server cannot establish a DM session with the client of the terminal. When the DM server cannot establish a DM session with the client of the terminal it may faill to transfer the enablement command for the corresponding capability to the wireless terminal. In this case, even though the corresponding terminal moves out of the control area, the specific capability of the terminal may be maintained in its disabled state. At this time, if the user has to use the corresponding capability, the user does not have authorization for re-enabling the corresponding capability. Accordingly, the user will not be able to use the corresponding capability until the DM server establishes the DM session again and transfers the enablement command.
Further, a situation may occur where use of the specific capability, e.g., a camera function, is temporarily required for professional reasons, or the like, even when the terminal is located in the control area. In this situation, a temporary authorization for enabling the specific capability should be provided to the user. However, it is inconvenient for a user to input the registration information of the user's terminal required to enable the corresponding capability with the DM system to enable the specific capability of the corresponding terminal. Specifically, when this situation occurs, and the particular person manages many terminals, there is even greater inconvenience.
Thus, when the DM system fails to detect the terminal's departure from the control area, the DM server cannot re-enable the disabled capabilities of the terminal. Accordingly, the user will not be able to use the corresponding capability. Further, when it is necessary for the user to use the disabled capability, there is no method for the user to enable the corresponding capability before the DM server provides the corresponding terminal with the enablement command even when the wireless terminal is within the control area.